Compensating for modern urban life
The value of camping and outdoor living

You may be surprised at how extensive the physical, psychological, and spiritual benefits of camping in the outdoors are. We offer you a list that might make you want to head to a mountain or lake or wilderness area, pitch your tent, unroll your sleeping bag, hike wooded trails, build a fire, light up your   camping stove, eat food that tastes so much better in the open air, and then sit in your camp chair watching your flickering campfire or gazing up into the night sky. Read on — and see if it doesn’t have that effect.


Physically
  • Fresh air. This is maybe the first and most obvious benefit. The air in the wilderness has a higher oxygen content than city air because there are more trees to produce it. The extra oxygen causes serotonin to be released, and you feel good. The oxygen can positively affect your blood pressure, digestive system, and immune system. Further, you are not inhaling harmful pollutants.

  • Sunshine. Sunlight causes the skin to make large amounts of vitamin D, which is needed for strong bones. It also causes the body to produce serotonin. Further, light lifts the mood, and natural outdoor light can help the body reset its clock, reestablish its natural circadian rhythm, and counteract seasonal affective disorder.

  • Exercise. The value of exercise is obvious. Being outside and all the things you do outside — from setting up camp, to hiking, climbing, and swimming — result necessarily in more exercise, which burns calories, helps reduce weight, conditions your muscles, strengthens your core, and even improves your balance.

  • Sleep. Many people report that they sleep better when they are camping, despite the fact that they may be on the ground or on an air mattress or sleeping pad. Maybe physical activity causes a more “natural” and relaxed kind of tiredness than the mental and psychological activity of everyday urban life.

  • Good, natural food. When you do your own cooking over a campfire or camp stove, you are more likely to use natural ingredients.

  • Good vision. Getting away from the screens of your computer, tablet, smartphone, and video monitor will rest your eyes and cause them to focus at greater distances rather than up close for hours on end.

  • Less inflammation. Inflammation is associated with cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. A recent study showed that people who spent time in green, forested areas had reduced pro-inflammatory levels. This is another way of saying that being “in nature” can help keep you healthy.


Emotionally and mentally
  • Relaxation. The increased activity relieves stress. There are fewer things to cause stress because you are away from your usual life.

  • Brain stimulation. The fact that you are doing things you don’t usually do causes you to use your brain in new ways, sharpening it, improving its capabilities. Your problem-solving abilities can grow stronger, as well as your short-term memory.

  • Unplugged. Living without your electronic devices can give you an unexpected sense of freedom and relief. It may even help you think more clearly.

  • Good spirits. Camping can help lift you out of depression and reduce anxiety. It can even help with PTSD.

  • Learning. There can be an educational aspect to camping and outdoor living if you take an interest in the trees, birds, and animals, and if you use the opportunity to think about the environment and what you can do to protect it.

  • Social interaction. People rarely camp alone. You might be with family or friends. Because you are free from your daily responsibilities you can interact on a deeper level. You will have “quality” time.


Spiritually
  • Awe. The night sky filled with stars you would not see in your urban/suburban neighborhood, the towering trees, the wildflowers, the birds, the butterflies, the waters of a lake or ocean — all of these can fill you with wonder and awe at the beauty and mystery of creation.

  • Meditation. You will have time to be quiet and think, to be still and meditate, to allow your spirit to rest and be in a state of calm.

  • Peace. Many people find a deep sense of peace when they are out in nature, a sense of being connected to the earth and its creatures, and to other humans. In sensing this interconnectedness, they feel their own deep humanity. This can lead to a profound peace of mind.

  • Healing. Being outdoors, being in nature can bring healing — physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.

Most of us live and work in temperature-controlled spaces. We walk on concrete, asphalt, tile, or carpet. We are sedentary while doing our jobs at work. We inhale chemical-laden air, and eat processed foods. We do many things to compensate for one or the other of these realities, but there is probably no activity that helps us compensate for all of them as well as camping in the great outdoors.